(For now, the miniature magic tower is safe in the group's possession)

Once everyone is prepared to depart and have said their farewells to the other slaves, they gather in the drow grove where Vizeran casts his spell to teleport them to his tower. The now-familiar trading outpost dissolves away and a large cavern materialises in its place. The cavern is dimly lit with phosphorescent fungi, the glow from which reveal an enormous stalagmite in the center of the cavern. A double door is built into the base of the natural column, and several small openings with soft light can be seen dotted around the exterior.

Vizeran closes his eyes and pauses a moment as though concentrating on something. He smiles, clutches at something at his chest hidden underneath his robes, and walks toward the tower. Pausing about forty feet from the door, he calls out in a loud voice: Grin! Master has returned! We have guests! Striding up to the door, he waves his hand and it opens silently. Turning to the group and gesturing for them to follow, he says with a soft voice: Welcome to Araj! (The word means 'Vengeance' in Elvish)

Past the heavy iron door that is the tower’s only visible entrance, a short tunnel extends through five feet of solid rock into a cool, dark antechamber, beyond which the space opens up into a broad audience hall, about 40 feet across. A floating orb of pale violet light brightens in the center of the room as Vizeran enters, revealing an opening in the vaulted ceiling and a spiral stone staircase with no railing, climbing up into darkness. The light also reveals heavy carpets covering the smooth stone floor, and a throne-like stone chair on a raised dais to the left of the entrance. Standing beside the chair is a male drow dressed in a sleeveless black mage robe, with a long black sword strapped at his belt. He bows to the group but says nothing. Vizeran gestures to the figure and says: This is Grin Ousstyl, my apprentice. An unfortunate accident has rendered him mute, but he is still a capable student of the Art. Grin looks at each member of the group in turn and nods his head again and again.

Without any further formalities, Vizeran moves into the center of the chamber, speaks the Elvish word for 'levitate', and rises up the central hollow column of the tower, alighting at a platform near the top. Those who likewise move into the center of the room also levitate upwards, but the stairs are no less serviceable. Grin the apprentice simply ascends the stairs, seemingly in no hurry. Side chambers are visible coming off the spiral staircase, with no doors to hide the rooms beyond. The chambers on the second level up contain a kitchen, some storage rooms and what looks like disused servants quarters. The next level houses several guest bedchambers as well as an unfurnished room in which another male drow, this one in warrior garb, lays unconscious and shackled to the wall. Higher up and a room is seen that contains the trappings of a library, and another an arcane laboratory. The next level up is where Vizeran has exited, and he ushers the group into what are clearly his private chambers - a small sitting room filled with dark plush cushions. There is one more level higher up, but it is not possible to see into it from the level below.

Vizeran invites the group to settle into the cushions as trays of food come floating into the room. Laden with dried mushrooms, smoked rothé meat, and goblets of spicy liquor, the elderly archmage takes a cup and a handful of food for himself and makes a point of eating and drinking first. Then he offers the first of his advice:

The purple worm is strong and tough. The poison sting of their tails can be worse than their bite, but of course thou must also avoid being eaten. But dangerous as they are, purple worms are stupid and slow, and easily subjected to enchantment. One egg should suffice for the ritual. And of course the central eye of a beholder. I care not from where thou acquires it. By the time thou has these, I should have the talisman prepared. I ask that thou not return here before that time, as the ritual to prepare the talisman will require all my attention, and I do not wish to be interrupted. Once the talisman is completed, then we can discuss the means of taking it to Menzoberranzan. And of course acquiring Gromph's grimoire. Does thou have any questions?

EXTRA:

- Even the least astute members of the group can tell that Vizeran frequently holds back information. It's probably as natural as breathing for him. His explanation for Grin's lack of speaking is certainly superficial, and the two of them clearly have a means of communicating without words.

- As for Grin, it is obvious that this is the first time he has met the group, although there is something vaguely familiar about him. Something about the eyes.

- The unconscious and shackled drow is dressed in the identical manner of the guards at Velkynvelve.

If Sekkar was a cat, his fur would be standing up and the tail would whip against his sides by now - everything in this place screamed "danger", beginning with stalactite tower, soaked in and practically oozing magic, and ending with this silent apprentice, who managed to bypass the usual mages requirements of yelling strange words, and who was also eerie familiar.

Alas, Sekkar was just a lizard and as one held a neutral "I am unimpressed" expression. He nodded to Grim in response, watching the drow and trying to place him among familiar faces, (Insight: 20, Perception: 21)  and followed him up the stairs, not even trying to fly (if lizards were intended to fly they would have wings, thank you very much).

He ate, though (after Vizaran demonstrated to food is safe - relatively, of course, nothing would prevent the drow to take the antidote before). Sekkar preferred the least spicy food, convinced that spices were invented to mask the smell and taste of poison. Drow's "lecture" he listened patiently, then sighed (voting mentally never ever take another bunch of carefree tourists, that forget information faster than they get it, into the tunnels) and for the - third? fourth? he lost counts - time repeated the "no noise" policy. "They go for any loud noise they sense underground. And as they hunt for food, they can go through the solid rock like through water. Eat anything organic, can swallow a horse-sized being whole. They do not protect eggs, but there are creatures around them that do. In that library, they were talking about giant spiders and even some giants... humanoids, fomorians, some kind of giants. Meaning, if we can quietly get to the egg chamber, we might still get ourselves a fight. A noisy fight! So, double care there."

Sekkar looked at their host. "Any information about the closest "nursery"?"

"So should we encounter a worm, I can Hold it or Banish it for  short time. Proably regular array of spells can handle the creatures around eggs while keeping the egg in good shape,." Kirin mutters to himself, "My knowledge of the Underdark is quite limited and my research back in lubrary was more about the Lybnraith,"

Rhayna goes into Vizeran’s abode, and she makes sure Stool is following along. She nods back to Grin. She ascends with the rest of the group. When she passes the Library, she tries to take a peek to see if there are books here she haven’t read, or that they would not be found in Candlekeep.

Kaylyn was glad to be moving on from Mantol-Derith.  This whole issue with moving back in time and potentially dealing with situations they had already dealt with was truly making her head hurt.  Having Pensive back certainly helped and getting back on track helped again.  They were back on mission, that was good.  She felt that completing the mission would do the most good overall.

Pensive, for his part, becomes a bit more protective of Kaylyn.  But this isn't just hovering near her at all times.  Its also watching everything around her and sharing the information in visuals to Kaylyn and the rest of the party.  Certainly the lizard man and the other half-elf Pax.  Rhayna has been around as long as he has been with Kaylyn and is very familiar to her.  Kirin is still unknown, but the others seem to work with him, so he is included.  He shares nothing with Vizeran of course.  The lizardman doesn't trust him, and even though Kaylyn seems OK with him, he can sense it is a truce of sorts not full trust.

While in Mantol-Derith he did stay close.  He had missed her, had been pulled away from her.  But he also sensed that Vizeran's tower was different.  So he explored given the chance.  He would check out the other rooms and floors when he had a chance.

At the tower Kaylyn passes the helmet to Vizeran.  "You said you could fix it.  We will spend the day and rest while you fix it and then I can take the helmet with us.  Lend me also a book from your library. This will strengthen my connection to this tower so I can teleport us back here when we have collected the last items needed." 

Pax takes a knee on the ground outside of the tower where they emerged. She glances at the ground carefully, picking up a pile of dust from the ground which she slips into a side pouch.  Without any explanation she stands up and walks towards the tower behind the others. She pulls her helm off once they're inside, her red hair hanging down in strings, having been unable to 'freshen up' much since their encounter with the strange engine. When she's introduced to Grin, a quick flick of her wrist and a message spell connects with him mentally. "Hello Grin. I don't suppose you look like a giant black frog in your off-time?"  She winks at him and uses the levitation lift upwards with a rare smile on her lips.  She steps off on the final floor with the others. She seems about to say something, but instead waits for the response to Kaylyn regarding the helm. 

She passes on the underdark food, having very recently stuffed herself on 'normal' food and instead just finds a chair to sit down on. After the eventual answer comes about taking a rest here while the helm is repaired, Pax opens her mouth, "I'd love to learn more about how this field was created.  But another time perhaps. Who is the prisoner downstairs? What claim do you have keep him in such a state?"  She asks the questions trying to look casual, but there's an edge to her voice.  She pulls out her waterskin and takes a swallow of water.  

Grin says nothing in response to Pax but only blinks his wet eyes and smiles a wide smile...

Rhayna only has time for a brief glance into Vizeran's library, although she lingers as long as prudence allows. She is surprised to see a collection of fiction novels, including famous titles like Pride and Pegasus, The Call of the Will'o'wisp, The Lion, the Witch and the Warlock, One Flew Over the Peryton's Nest, and The Gricks of Wrath. But his reference section appears to be the most extensive, and Rhayna immediately recognises a few covers, including The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces, Groonpeck's Field Guide, oh wow! the Imaskarran Tome of Death, Elminster's Ecologies, several works by Volothamp Geddarm, and is that the Tome of the Dragon?

Vizeran accepts Kaylyn's helm and hands it to one of the invisible servants that seem to infiltrate the tower, and it goes floating away toward the laboratory. They will commence the preliminary analytical tests, he explains. I should have some results for thou in a few hours. The discourse on purple worms continues for a while, with Vizeran commenting positively on Kirin's suggestions of spells to use on the beasts. Partway through the conversation, a book floats over to Kaylyn titled Nematodes of the Northdark, and Vizeran informs her that she might find the content useful as well as the connection to the tower. A quick flick through the pages, and Kaylyn shares with Sekkar the detailed maps contained therein of the Wormwrithings and the locations of several egg nurseries, as well as more extensive information on worm traits.

(There is sufficient information for everyone to be conversant with the stats of Purple Worm, and for Sekkar to include them as a favoured enemy).

Vizeran shows no sign of alarm at Pax's prompt about the prisoner, but simply replies: His identity I do not know. I was unaware of his incarceration until I arrived. Grin informs me that he mysteriously appeared in my chambers some time ago, and apprehended him as a precaution, and I have deduced that this occurred at the time of our appearance in Velkynvelve. I believe this is a case of temporal substitutionism, where the anachronistic anomolies were rectified by the substitution of a random proxy. In short, when we time-travelled I switched places with that guard. He takes another sip of wine, and then seeing that the answer doesn't satisfactorily answer the query, he adds: I have no use for him, so shall have him released forthwith.

Assuming we're taking a long rest here, and knowing they'll be likely fighting a Purple Worm, Pax will switch out Fly and Fireball for Protection from Energy and Otiluke's Resilient Sphere.  She also attunes to the Wand of Wonder....cause...Chaos!

While discussing tactics against purple worms, she says, "If I get swallowed, I should be able to protect myself or escape, and I can give someone else who might end up getting swallowed resistance to acid. I can't do anything about the poison though. Either way, I'll try to make myself a target for it."  

When Vizeran brings up the topic, she frowns, "That would mean that Zeno or Kastix are potentially on the surface, in place of Kirin. Or switched places with me. I was a house slave to the drow before escaping. Fascinating. Either way, I presume their well equipped to deal with their new situation. Very well, if you are ok, I think I shall take some time to rest." 

Pax finds a quiet place for herself to lay down and get some rest. She then goes about removing her armor, carefully taking the time to clean each part, her hand waving across sections of the metal...the dirt or grime lifting away and falling to the ground.  She then carefully oils it all and sets the glimmering armor to one side. Then she spends an hour with the strange wand in her grasp, letting her mind explore the object and bond with it.  Next she sits down with her book for a while and does a bit of reading, before finally, exhausted, she lays out her sleeping mat.  She focus for a short time on a ritual....casting an alarm spell just around her own body and gear, and then lays down and goes into a solid sleep. 

As Rhayna was levitating up, she tried to glance at Vizeran's library, she found so much interesting books, that she craned her neck as much as she could in order to see everything that she could. While Vizeran and the group was talking, Rhayna just kept thinking about taking a look at the library. So many fascinating books!! She kept waiting for everyone to stop talking so she could ask Vizeran. "Errr... Would you mind if I could spend some time in your library?" She was very interested in the book "Imaskarran Tome of Death".

Kirin would find a corner and just starts his trance to get a full long rest he hasn't had in a while and rework his spells a bits for first time after a while. 

Sekkar briefly regretted not having a guarding animal friend and contemplated keeping guard all night long. But if they were about to fight the big monster, he would need his head fresh. So, he just hoped his senses will be as sharp as they usually were in the tunnels and allowed himself uninterrupted rest.

 Vizeran agrees to allow Rhayna access to his library, but asks her not to touch any of the books locked on the top shelf as they are warded and might destroy her. Rhayna goes down at the earliest opportunity and walks straight for the Imaskarran Tome of Death, flicking through its pages. It is not particularly long, but details the process of creating a ring of protection from a skeleton knuckle and an ettercap silk gland, using the spell improved invisibility. Rhayna seems to recall that it is one of five arcane tomes from Imaskar detailing the construction of ancient magical items; the other books being the Imaskarran Tomes of Life, Resonance, Fire, and Ice. In addition, Rhayna finds a small pile of scrolls in a folder marked "Illegible". Flicking through, she agrees that most of them are either gibberish or in obscure or forgotten languages. However, three of them she can read, as they use glyphs that represent words in Druidic. Studying them reveals them as spell scrolls for Wind Walk, Speak with Plants and Moonbeam

When everyone has had sufficient time to rest and prepare they meet up again, at which time Vizeran announces that he has had some luck with the helm and that it now holds its full complement of three charges, and should recharge daily. (It currently has two.) In addition, he managed to adjust its arcane resonance so that any future mishaps should be mitigated. (The effect being that any future roll of 'Similar Area' will instead return the targets to Vizeran's tower. It sounds like a safeguard, although it could just be his way of keeping the item and its user within his area of influence.)

Having no exact reference point to teleport to the worm nursery though, save for the description and map from the book, the group will either have to take their chances with the helm or travel there on foot.

Quote from NathanPizazz >>

 

When Vizeran brings up the topic, she frowns, "That would mean that Zeno or Kastix are potentially on the surface, in place of Kirin. Or switched places with me. I was a house slave to the drow before escaping. Fascinating. Either way, I presume their well equipped to deal with their new situation. Very well, if you are ok, I think I shall take some time to rest." 

 Joetaro would also have been substituted out. That makes four that got swapped OUT (Zeno, Kastix, the drow and Joetaro) and replaced by the four that got swapped in (Pax, Kirin, Vizeran and ... Dawnbringer?)

Kaylyn, curious to the contents of Vizeran's library accompanies Rhayna.  She looks for a book on celestials if she can find one.  Curious to the nature of the pile of scrolls marked illegible she also peruses through them.  She then casts Comprehend Languages and looks at each one in turns to see what she can learn from them.  

Pensive, back from exploring the tower, as he was able, rests on her shoulders and takes a nap.

(OOC: By the way, the scroll of Speak with Plants can technically also be used by Kaylyn and Sekkar, as it appears on both the bard and ranger spell lists. I'll say that Rhayna is able to translate that one.)

Kaylyn sees an interesting range of books. Some noteworthy ones include the poetic History of the Fateful Coin, the collection of Shanties for the ***** Queen, and Orcish Percussion Techniques. There is a tall, thin volume bound in white ermine fur that is cold to the touch. Kaylyn only finds two books on a celestial theme: one written for young elves titled A is for Azuth, and other Gods, and the weighty Encyclopaedia Deifica, neither of which say much about other celestial creatures. However, Rhayna suggests Kaylyn read Groonpeck's Field Guide, the full title of which is Groonpeck's Field Guide to Terrifying Denizens of the Air, with special appendices for Acheron, the Elemental Planes, and the Abyss. In this tome she learns about the Pegasus, Couatl, Deva, Planetar, Solar, Empyrean, Hollyphant, and the Ki-rin.

Finally, in the 'illegible' pile she finds a curious book of excellent workmanship with very fine lettering as though made by some manner of machine. With the use of magic she can read it, but it is certainly no language of this world. It is titled Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun authored by someone named Wess Roberts, and Kaylyn is certain that given enough time to read it she could learn some profound ideas.

Quote from ZorgAlmighty >>

Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun authored by someone named Wess Roberts.     LOL.  

Pax notices the rest of the group digging through Vizeran's library, but she has no interest right now. She focus' on herself for the moment, and spends any extra time writing down details of the groups time traveling situation and the Maze Engine. She writes a few theories about things and realizes she'll have lots of work to do if they manage to destroy the demons, in understanding the implications of the device. Following the logic of the people being replaced, Pax realizes that indeed, the sentient sword is probably not like any other duplicated item and lets the idea of going after a second one slip from her list of to-dos.  Eventually though, she realizes its someone's job to pull these sometimes distracted allies onto the right path. She puts her armor on methodically, the shadows around her growing as she does so until she's sheathed in steel and shadow and ready to resume their trip.  Then she heads down to the library. 

"Alright, enough fun kids. Time to put our business faces on. We're walking to the purple worm nursery. We have the world to save and it's time we got going. Pack it up and let's move."

As one additional precautious, she'll check-in with Kaylyn and ensure she still has the magical tower on her. Pax briefly considers this and realizes, after all this is done, she'll be asking Kaylyn to take her to the tower so she can get another one. So much to do after.....

(Such a rich library! It's a pity Sekkar is not into reading, One Flew Over the Peryton's Nest sounds fascinating! Though the Tome of the Dragon would be definitely the one to pick up.)

(Other than my obvious parodies, all the books appear in various games or modules of Forgotten Realms)

Rhayna certainly expected more of the Imaskarran Tome of Death than just a simple item-creation recipe that has little if anything to do with Death. Unless the book is a fake of some kind, she can't help but think there should be more...

Rhayna is glad that Vizeran allows her access to his library, that she even forgets momentarily that she doesn't like him. She quickly makes her way to the library, bringing Stool along. She first gives a quick scan through the whole collection, and she creates a catalog in her mind of all the books. She also makes a mental note to catalog the warded books, for later research, if she ever makes back to Candlekeep. As Kaylyn and whoever join her in the library, she gives them a brief tour, and points any book that they might be interested. It brings back memories from a lifetime ago of her time as a librarian.

She finds some scrolls, and she hands them to Kaylyn. Then she starts to go over the book that she was interested the most, but she is disappointed by the content. She digs into her memory to see if she recalls more facts regarding the book. She also casts Detect Magic on the book. (just in case)

Rhayna History check on what she remembers about the Imaskarran Tome of Death: 21

According to what Rhayna had heard, the Imaskarran Tomes could only be read by a select few, hence her surprise to find that it was actually an easy-to-read, albeit uninteresting work, rather than a detailed treatise on death and necromancy. However her spell reveals a clear aura of illusion magic on the book. Perhaps the true message of the book is hidden behind this illusion. As a librarian, Rhayna knows that simply dispelling the illusion could as easily erase the original message than reveal it. Nothing short of truesight could circumvent the conditions placed on the illusion.

(Is it me or does this feels like Indiana Jones?)

Rhayna studies the book, but she is not able to decipher its true meaning. Since Kaylyn is right there. Rhayna asks her. “Do you or anyone in our party has true sight? I believe there are hidden texts hidden in this book, but I am not able to see them. It is driving me crazy… Just a little, of course.”